For those looking for a summer or fall golf vacation that’s challenging, uncrowded, kind to the bank account and populated with cheerful locals, then look no further than Atlantic Canada. I see that look on some of your faces so let me explain what Atlantic Canada is. Basically it’s everything east of Quebec. More specifically it’s Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island and Labrador/Newfoundland.

You may be asking yourself why on earth you’d go there for golf this summer. First, there are lots of first class courses at a cost of probably 50% of what you’d pay here in the states for a round. The courses are uncrowded, play 36 a day if you want. The people who populate this part of Canada are some of the nicest folks on the planet. Imagine this country in 1950 and you start to get the idea. The food, particularly what comes from the sea, is exquisite. In case you can’t read my mind I’m thinking lobster, oysters and mussels. The weather is beautiful and a lot cooler than most of the lower 48, which means your golf isn’t restricted to before 9 in the morning or after 6 in the evening.

Last year my wife and I golfed in both New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island (better known as PEI). PEI is a delight. It’s all the things I’ve described above, plus there are 20 plus excellent courses within about 40 minutes of each other. If you contact the nice people at Golf PEI (www.golfpei.ca) they’ll set you up with great deals on golf and lodging and make sure your vacation goes without a hitch. Be forwarned, don’t play the Golf PEI CEO, Barry MacLeod, for money. He’s all too happy to take it from you.

We also golfed in New Brunswick. The only difference with PEI is that the courses are more spreadout. If you wan’t to play all the best, then plan on staying in a few different locations and driving a bit. Golf NB (www.golfnb.com) chief cook and bottlewasher Chris Stacey will help you map out a perfect vacation. If you can, get him to hit at least one drive for you. I don’t know what they put in the water up there, but if it makes you hit the ball like Chris then I’m going to start having the stuff shipped down here.

The picture above was painted by my wife from pictures we took at the Fairmont Algonquin golf course. Look carefully, because it really captures the look and feel of golfing in Atlantic Canada. I can’t view this picture without smelling the clean air and seeing the sunlight dancing off the water that was typical of our 10 day stay.

Atlantic Canada is a terrific destination for serious golfers. Plan a trip and I guarantee you’ll come back a new person. While you’re there say hello to the good folks at Golf PEI and Golf NB. It’s OK to tell your friends about the place, just don’t tell too many!

Related posts:

1. Atlantic Canada Review – Part 1
2. Golf Trip to PEI and New Brunswick

It’s an odd thing to be thinking about playing golf in Cape Cod in the middle of the winter but I’ve been planning a getaway in midsummer to play some of my favorite Cape Cod Golf Courses, most of which I haven’t played in years.

See, I live in Western, Ma, which is about 2.5+ hours Southeast from here. It’s not a bad ride but nothing spectacular either. But once you cross the Bourne Bridge – ah, Cape Cod awaits you.

I have a lot of fond memories of the Cape as my parents used to take my brothers and I on vacation there almost every year. This was back in the early 70′s so it’s been quite built up since then but somehow the charm and good memories always linger for me.

I would love to get out there more often and actually the off-season (October-March) it’s like you have the whole place to yourself! But the plans are in the works to play a number of courses I’ve played a few times (but not in years).

One I am most looking forward to is Highland Links* in Truro. It’s almost at the peak of of the Cape, just minutes away from Provincetown. It’s truly a gem of a course. It’s a true links course with some stunning ocean views and a beautiful and charming light house (that you walk right by). You’ve thought you’ve died and gone to golfing heaven. Although only a nine-holer, the front and back tees make it look like 2 different courses. Just get there. You can thank me later.

Another of my favorites is Cranberry Valley Golf Club in Harwich. It is a great test of golf. It’s a bent grass course with water hazards on three holes of the back nine. The fairways are tree-lined with ample sand bunkers. The natural terrain includes marshes and cranberry bogs. It was designed by Geoffrey Cornish and Brian Silva, built in 1974. I love Cornish courses and this is one of his best.

Another course I have been wanting to play is Ballymeade Country Club, in North Falmouth. Actually, I’ve played it but that was perhaps 10 years ago or so. It’s much more groomed and a resort course than the other two I mentioned. It was designed by Jim Fazio/Chi Chi Rodriguez and opened in 1989.

I think it was the views that really got me as there are some spectacular views of Buzzards Bay on a number of holes. It’s tough, so if your not a mid to low handicap you might want to take a pass.

Finally, I plan on visiting Olde Barnstable Fairgrounds in Marston Mills. It was formerly the property that was home to the Barnstable County Fair, hence the name. It’s next to a small airport and in the summer I just remember these cool bi-planes flying in and over. Voted as one of Golf Digest’s “Best Places to Play,” there’s no way you’ll have a bad experience at this lovely course.

Those are the courses I’m planning on playing this summer and already in the process of making accommodations. I can’t wait to get back to the Cape to play some of the loveliest courses I know. While there, I’ll take in the fresh salt air, have a fresh Atlantic Ocean lobster and wash it down with a few Sam Adams. Sounds good to me!

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PGA National in Palm Beach Gardens is one of thousands of golf communities in Florida. Recently my wife and I were down south looking for somewhere to escape the winter’s cold in the Northeast and I just had to stop by PGA National. Its championship course is where they play the Honda Classic and has also hosted the Ryder Cup and a PGA Championship – not too shabby!

I wanted to get to the bottom of what it would cost to live and play there. Here’s what I found out;

First, some basic facts. PGA National is a 2340 acre community, with 5 championship courses, a resort spa and a 240 acre nature preserve. Here’s what’s impressive; they have everything and it’s all first class from the golf locker rooms, many swimming pools, golf courses, practice facilities, tennis courts and exercise facilities to the homes, townhomes, villas and resort hotel. The downside is you’ll pay for all of it.

Here’s the basic breakdown from what I was told. First, there’s a $42,500 golf membership deposit. If you decide to get out at some point, you can get this back as long as someone wants to buy it. Currently memberships are not maxed out.

Add to that an annual family membership of $10,375 ($8095 for an individual) which covers golf, tennis, racquetball, croquet, swimming, fitness and social facilities. After that you pay $25 per person for a cart for every round. There’s no walking unless you take a caddy.

The way I figure it, it’s going to cost at least $15,000 per year for a couple who likes to golf. That’s not bad for 5 championship courses, but, if you’re like me, it’s more than your budget will allow in retirement. I also don’t like the fact that you have to take a cart or a caddy. What’s wrong with walking on your own? The ‘no walking’ is way too common at private clubs in the U.S. Could that be one of the reasons amateurs don’t get better?

The entire community is gated. Within are many ‘subdivisions’ of every type, some with more gates and some without. The housing seemed reasonable. You can actually get a small condo in the mid 100′s. We saw nice 2 bed, 2 bath places for under $300k. Of course, for those of you who are well healed, you can spend millions. From what I could gather, the homeowners association fees ranged from about $2500 to slightly over $4000 depending on the individual community. Check out prices for yourself at PGA National Realty.

My rough estimate of annual costs on a $240,000 home are $5k taxes, $3k homeowners association fees and $15k for golf. That’s $23k for starters and doesn’t include electricity, air conditioning/heat, cable, water or any other basic living costs.

If you’ve got the money and love golf and don’t mind Florida summers, or have a second home in the mountains, then PGA National is probably a heck of a deal. If you’re hoping to find a place in retirement that you can afford on a small pension, then this isn’t going to work.

I’d love to try PGA National for January through March just once to see if I could satiate myself with golf. Unfortunately it’s not cheap either. There are places to rent and owners can transfer their memberships to you, BUT it looks like it would cost about $20k for those 3 months and that’s only for lodging and golf. I guess my place in the sun is still to be discovered!

While down in Florida there are many higher-end hotels but also plenty of cheap hotels. in other words, plenty of choices!

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1. Hazeltine National Golf Club Facts
2. Little Known Augusta National Facts
3. PGA Championship – Golf Survives Nicely

Crowbush Golf Course, PEI

It’s taken me about a week to catch up with everything after being gone about 10 days on a 1600 mile trek to play courses in New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island or PEI. First, I must thank our hosts; Amanda Steward and Barry MacLeod of Golf PEI (Prince Edward Island) and Chris Stacey of Golf NB (New Brunswick). It may sound like an easy job, taking writers around to golf courses, hotels and restaurants, but you have to be always on your game while catering to a diverse set of needs. They not only put up with us but showed us why golfing in Atlantic Canada is worth the trouble of getting there. If you need help with anything to do with golf in PEI or NB, please contact these folks, they’re a pleasure to work with.

First, an overview and general impressions of golf up north, then in follow-up blogs I’ll go into some of the details of where we played, stayed and ate. Compared to the U.S., everyone in Atlantic Canada is laid back and calm, which means you can come here and recharge your batteries. Forget traffic, crowds and rude service personnel, they don’t exist. In this way, our trip up north was very much like going to Scotland. Sum it up and golf is not only challenging in Atlantic Canada, it’s also fun.

Golf is not only plentiful but of a very high quality. The courses we played would be comparable to many of the best courses in the major golf destinations in the U.S. But…. the cost is much lower and you won’t find the crowds. I was amazed at what they were charging for rounds and even more amazed by what season passes cost – enough so that my wife and I hope to go back next year for an extended period. The weather is much like New England, but cooler – which isn’t bad after the scorcher we’ve had this year. I’d say lodging cost is about the same with food being a bit higher.

If you can afford to stay for awhile, you’re going to get all the golf you want. PEI has 22 good courses within about 45 minutes of each other and there’s lots of variety and lots of different layouts. In NB the courses are more spread out, but again you can find lots of good ones if you’re willing to drive an hour and a half to three different locations. Most of the courses we played and saw had really nice practice facilities, which is a pleasant change from many of the courses here where condos are more attractive to developers.

My wife and I took our time driving up because we wanted to travel the coast of Maine and New Brunswick, places we hadn’t been. If you’ve got the time there is lots of ocean scenery and interesting destinations like the Hopewell Rocks where you can see 50 foot tidal changes and sample rhubarb wine! Straight through from Portland, Maine to Charlottetown, PEI looks to be about 700 miles. Unfortunately there aren’t a lot of flight options from the U.S. which makes the cost of air travel high. I know the various tourist bureaus are working to change that. New Yorkers are lucky in that there are direct flights from Newark.

There are plenty of cultural events in both PEI and NB during the summer – such as music festivals - and this could be an extra bonus if you plan accordingly. Both Golf PEI and Golf NB offer attractive ‘stay and play’ deals as well as discount play cards. All in all it was a great way to spend 10 days in August!

Related posts:

1. Atlantic Canada Is Calling
2. Golfing In Scotland During Hard Times – Part 2
3. Review Of Scottish Links Courses

This is a really quick note about a golf trip to Atlantic Canada that my wife and I are beginning tomorrow. We are going to be traveling Prince Edward Island and New Brunswick sampling some of their best courses, restaurants and lodging.

The plan is to come back with lots of photos and maybe even some video and a full report on what a golf holiday in the Maritimes is like. One thing for sure, it’s going to be cooler than it is around here. We can’t wait to leave the 90′s and head for low 70′s high 60′s. Just for fun I’ve laid out the trip on a new website at Tripline. Click HERE for the link.

I haven’t had time to post a lot, but you can see our basic itinerary. When you get to the site, click on the link for the Atlantic Canada Golf Trip. You can navigate the map by clicking the destinations or look at the tripline below. Check it out and let us know if it has potential.

Related posts:

1. Atlantic Canada Review – Part 1
2. Scotland Golf Trip Is On!
3. Atlantic Canada Is Calling

I am planning a late fall golf trip to play Harbour Town golf links, (home of the PGA stop, the Verizon Heritage Heron Point and the Ocean Course at Sea Pines Resort in Hilton Head, South Carolina.

Of course, Harbour Town is famous for the iconic Harbour Town Lighthouse. The 90-foot, red-and-white striped tower of the Harbour Town Lighthouse on Hilton Head Island is the visual centerpiece of Sea Pines.

Construction on the hexagonal Harbour Town Lighthouse began in 1969 and was completed in the spring of 1970. This was the first privately financed lighthouse to be built since the early 1800s. Of course, it serves as the perfect backdrop for the 18th hole at Harbour Town.

I can’t wait for some Hilton Head golf (well, yes I can because that would mean the round would be just about over) and to try the famous shot at the final hole at Harbour Town. I have seen so many of those shots on TV that it will seem very strange actually playing the hole.

They have a number of nice packages through the resort itself. You can check out some of the golf packages and see what you think. Currently for 2 night and two rounds of golf, at approximately $350, that is a pretty good deal.

Couple hotel tips (that apply across the board – not just at Harbor Town)

1. It’s always a good idea to call the resort’s or hotel’s local number and NOT the 800 number as the 800 number typically gets re-routed to an off-site call center. instead of asking for reservations, ask to speak with the manager or the general manager on duty or the sales director as they have the authority to negotiate room rates.

I did this recently on a trip and asked the manager to get the room for $100 (it was a $350 room!) My wife and i had many choices and after we said no to the $350 he asked me what I would like for and instantly my request was granted.

I really did this more as an experiment but you would be surprised HOW flexible price is (especially in this economy)

2. The best time to make a reservation (if you want to do it this way) is right after 6 pm. This is when hotels wipe clean all the no-show reservations that were unsecured by a credit card. Then they offer those rooms at nice bargain rates.

You can check out the Sea Pines courses which include nice hole by hole gallery.

Tiger also gives a brief overview of some of Harbour Town’s key golf holes in a video.

Be curious what your experiences have been at Sea Pines and and other tips, restaurants or other excursions you found worthwhile while there.

You can also find other Hilton Head tee times if you are interested in playing other HH courses. We, however, are only playing the Sea Pines courses.

Related posts:

1. Scottish Links Golf Not For Everyone
2. Review Of Scottish Links Courses
3. Tour 18 Houston, Lakeside CC Reviews

I’ll admit it but a golf holiday in France is not the first destination I think about when considering a golf getaway. Not for any particular reason, just for lack of knowledge about it’s courses and golfing scene in general.

And it’s not like they have just a few course. France boasts over 550 courses!

Maybe one reason is that France does not seem to have any iconic golf figures – like Norman for Australia, Seve or Sergio for Spain, Tiger or Phil for the US, Westwood or Poulter for the UK, Padraig for Ireland, etc. I can only think of one – Jan Van de Velde – and famous for rather infamous reasons.

Now I have been to France a few times before, not to golf, but to vacation, eat some of the best cuisine anywhere, drink some of the finest wines and to look at some of the finest artwork in the world – no arguments there.

But in my research, there are many, many world class courses.

You might want to start with Le Golf National, home of the European tour stop Alstom Open de France There are 3 courses at Le Golf National with the marquee course called Albatross. It’s unique in that it sort of combines “links” style golf with the US pupular “target’ style golf so you really get an interesting amalgam of styles. it’s one of France’s leading golf destinations and well worthy of a visit.

On the LPGA side there is the Evian Masters (the richest tournament on the LPGA) held at the Evian Masters Club in the French Alps and perched on the banks of Lake Geneva – now this is the epitome of a luxurious French resort.

Another fabulous course to investigate playing is Les Bordes (love the website!) located in the Loire region of France. The course is a demanding 7072 yards long with water coming into play on 12 of the holes. Typically known for lightening fast greens and enormous bunkers you will find Les Bordes to be a golfing experience like no other.

No less worthy is the Fontainebleau Golf Club – one of the oldest clubs in France. It is located in the Fontainebleau forest, on an ancient imperial hunting ground. Known for it’s narrow fairways and many species of trees and over 100 bunkers. It was recently voted as the number 1 course in France by Golf European readers.

Also, Golf Club Atlas has a wonderful write-up on The Saint Germaine Golf Club located in a suburb just west of Paris. The post has hole-by-hole descriptions and some wonderful photos. GCA has such great course descriptions that after reading it you might as well put it on your “to play list” while in Paris.

And as long as your are enjoying golf in France here a few more tips to help you enjoy your French holiday:

Things to do in France

45 things to do in France this summer

Top 10 things to do in Paris

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1. Great Deals on France Golf Holidays

We are trying to plan our big family trip for early 2011 and have come down to a few destinations, including a Caribbean cruise and a a Hawaiian vacation.

I have been a on numerous cruises to the Caribbean so, I have to admit, the lure of Hawaii is strong. Just that we live in Massachusetts and it’s half way across the world for us – so the travel distance is an issue with school schedules, etc.

That being said, I am secretly looking into deals at various Hawaii golf courses – I mean, come on, I have to sneak on to at least 2 courses while on vacation, right?!

One course of high interest is the Ben Crenshaw and Bill Coore designed Plantation Course at Kapalua (site of the PGA SBS Championship) Not only because I have watched it so many times on TV but it’s just been one of those on my list for some time – especially the 665 yard 18th hole! – sounds like an easy par

Another would be the Robert Trent Jones Sr. designed Poipu Bay Golf Course (primary home to the PGA Grand Slam of Golf) The course (from all the books and pics I gave looked at recently) is just visually stunning. Also very interesting culturally. Check out the info below (taken from the website)

The golf course is home to a number of significant historical sites—cultural treasures that are protected and maintained by Poipu Bay staff. The course was designed around several ancient Hawaiian heiau (places of worship) and handmade stone walls, estimated to date back over 500 years. Golfers are forbidden to enter these culturally-sensitive areas or play balls from them. In ancient times, heiau were built specifically on sites deemed to have the most mana, a spiritual power that emanates from sacred places.

Finally, one of the courses on my “must play” list is Turtle Bay Palmer* in Oahu. I had a friend play there recently and said he had one of the best golfing experiences of a lifetime. I will take a personal golf course recommendation over almost anything else when it comes to someone you know and trust who has actually played the course.

Getting Hawaii tee times is another issue and one I plan to tackle soon. I am not overly concerned about price to play (and I know it’s not cheap) but, heck, it’s not like I go there every year. I figure I am just paying for the experience, and glad to.

Anyone else have any favorite Hawaii golf courses or recommendations? if so please let me know!

* BTW, just leave this page up in the background while your doing your computer work. It’s one of the most soothing sounding screen savors I have heard – sweetly singing birds and the ocean lapping at the shore – nice.

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I have always really dug this pony-tailed, somewhat eccentric guy from Spain, Miguel Angel Jimenez, not only for his amazing golf game but also for his swashbuckling ways and love of life – including fine wines and expensive cigars. (Reminds me a bit of his American counterpart I wrote about – Who the Heck is Tommy Armour III?)

So I set out to find out a bit about the man they call, “the mechanic” (named for his preference for repairing rather than racing his suite of high performance vehicles)

Funny, I remember him very specifically hitting balls at the (then) GHO in Hartford, CT hitting his 7 iron to about 175 yards. I mean I saw him hit about 50 balls and he hit almost all of them stiff at the flag! it really was amazing to witness.

Miguel Angel Jimenez was born in 1964 (now 46 years old) in Malaga, Spain*. He first turned pro in 1982 and secured his first win at the Belgian Open in 1992.

All told he has 16 European wins with his most recent at the Dubai Desert Classic (February 2010) beating Lee Westwood in a playoff.

As for majors he has been sporadic at best (although he did finish a VERY respectable tie for 12th at this years 2010 Masters). His best finish being a 2nd place at the 1991 US Open.

So what makes Jimenez such a solid player and enable him to earn 5 million+ in his career so far? well, for one, he is an extremely accurate driver of the golf ball (finishing in the top 25 last year and 2009 being his highest earning season ever with over 1 million + in earnings. He also has an excellent short game.

As he said about the 2009 season: “It’s very difficult to imagine another season like that, but I’m like the good wines. Getting better with age.” well said.

Jimenez is just one of those players that seem like a throwback from another era. Just doing his own thing (reminds me of Trevino) with a freshness of spirit and bravado in an increasing roster of dull and cookie cutter players to professional golf.

PS: MAJ has has a facebook fan page

*Check out more about: Golf in Spain

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I am going to make it a point to start covering more “world” golf here at the GolfDash blog. There are just so many cool courses, venues and styles of golf – particularly on the European Tour.

One upcoming tournament is the The Estoril Open de Portugal which will return to the Penha Longa Hotel Spa & Golf Resort from April 1-4, one of Europe’s most avant-garde golf venues following a 2 million refurbishment program.

The Atlantic course was designed by Robert Trent Jones and is typically ranked in the top 30 courses in continental Europe.

To see the beauty of the course take this Photo Tour.

Duarte Nobre Guedes, President of Turismo Estoril, said: “Penha Longa is on the ‘jewels in the crown’ of the Estoril and Sintra Region, and the natural, magnificent setting is now enhanced by all the impressive refurbishment which the Resort has undertaken in order to raise the bar even higher. We are looking forward eagerly to welcoming back The European Tour professionals to enjoy the facilities.”

If you are looking into possibly attending the Portugal Open they currently have a number of inviting golf packages for folks attending the tournament at the Penha Longa Resort. They are worth checking out.

Finally, if you are a wine lover, like me, you might want to explore some of the most underrated (and excellent) Portuguese wines in the world. Wine is one of the most noted Portuguese exports and the country is the seventh largest exporter of the product worldwide, by value.

Golf in Portugal is not often thought of as a first golfing destination but maybe after reading this article, it should be.

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